Red Reaper
by chibiaimee
Summary: The complex life of a misunderstood adventurer, but is everything as it seems? WARNING: Gore, Psychological Instability, etc.


My name, something I'd gotten rid of years ago. It was such an unnecessary piece of information. Something that merely gave another person power, because, are words not powerful? I replaced my name with a title instead; it was, unfortunately, a necessity in my line of work. People knew me as the Red Reaper, pretty grim isn't it? But it suits me alright.

I walked briskly towards the new road. There was _always_ a main road away from a safe place. It was like a rule for this place, a rule I did not enjoy. It wasn't because I didn't enjoy the company of others or a new adventure, anything but– I just did NOT enjoy the new monsters that were added into this bundle, like the price given to you after a tester session. I won't lie though, I loved the adrenaline from a good fight against a beast twice my size, which was just asking for a pummelling. Although, was it this attitude of mine that ended every relationship and marriage that I went into? That was probably a question better left to my psychologist.

I came into the marshy land and sighed. I had _not_ bought new state of the art armour just for it to get marsh water and mud all over it. It was meant to look glamorous and, quite frankly, awesome when I reached the next place infested with people, not as though I was too poor to afford a way in which to bi-pass the dreaded marsh (which I was, but no one needed to know that). I walked along a winding path; the dark trees surrounding it were curling into gnarly shapes. I was certain they intended to make the next adventurer fall to their death from a cracked skull.

The bodies of people prior to me lay strewn around – did anyone clean up around here? Another step forward and a shriek was heard, almost as though it had been programmed from my footsteps. A woman dressed in ripped rags ran at me, before she reached my feet I had picked her up by the neck. The blade from my sleeve drew tentatively closer to the soft skin below her jaw. Slicing gracefully horizontally and while tossing the body aside, I grumbled. These things were getting sloppy; behind me, what had been a woman was replaced with a deformed mongrel.

It always seemed that the more ignorant beasts lay among the less occupied areas, but you would think that somewhere that had been full of life would still hold _some_ form of intelligence. Then again, I didn't want to battle anything _too_ smart, my sword, which I had hand crafted from obsidian, was still cracked in places. I blame the cheap materials I was forced to rely on, traders these days were not as they used to be. Although, like they say, beggars can't be choosers.

At this point I stepped on something squishy. Unpleasantly squishy. I looked down to see the clear outline of a dismembered arm.  
'Beautiful,' I thought sarcastically to myself, 'Just what I needed.'  
I drew my well used sword from its holding place along my back, and slowly edged forwards. The trees here were almost dead from over hydration – something you did not see very often. The shapes of what had once been houses lay around the forgotten path.

Breathing, heavy scared breathing. It filled my ears, the fear, and the rage of a cornered animal. Slowly I saw it, out of the corner of my eye. Its head lifted gradually, heartless, scarlet eyes came to rest on my figure. I believe it was surprised to see a humanoid alive this far in. It was a very large wolf of some sort; the pictures in books did this beast no justice. It was truly an amazing animal in its own right, gorgeous. It was, oh so tempting to not kill it! I was certain that it had once been human.

However, duty calls louder than a horn in the pitch black.

It took confident steps forward, increasing in speed, so fast I could barely catch it with my trained eyes. I felt long talons hit the breast plate of my armour, but I instinctively went for its neck with my gloved hand. I pushed its face away, blood stained and yellowing teeth snapping at me. I pulled the small gun from my pocket and pressed it to where beast's heart lay. The beating was so strong that it gently pushed away my gun with each flutter. The creature had me pushed to the ground, but the shot made its entire body go limp in a second. I looked at it; something so unworldly powerful could be annihilated in the blink of an eye. I watched as the last signs of life left its body. I inspected the beast; the only things worthwhile were its claws and fangs. I expertly removed them, placing them in a pouch in my inventory. They could prove useful later on.

Continuing on the path, I understood why no one came along here anymore. To be quite frank, it wasn't the best path, and I'm pretty sure that there's another road somewhere that might take longer, but has a far better view. I looked around as I stepped in what I could only pray was water, this place was so decrepit it made my burnt down house look in better shape. My ex had burnt down the house. Again. I need to remember to make him pay for that, but he's not been replying to my letters. It is exceedingly difficult to make someone who won't talk to you, pay for what they owe you.

Every now and then, the bodies of what_ should_ be the deceased spawned from the ground. Thanks for that, undead, you truly are the best for making my day even better! With a flick of my fingers and a graceful swish of my red locks, the annoying pests sprung alight. Their rags were perfect kindling, and their tortured screams no longer bothered me. Undead did not deserve pity. Suddenly, a flash of real people appeared before me, the undead were abruptly very alive. I clutched my face, clawing at my eyes as a wounded beast would. These images were far more scarring, far more unwanted, and so unexpected. I blinked, tearfully, as the attack I had made on my own eyes had caused them to water. All that was left were charred bones. Just my imagination playing up, something it did far too often.

I despised the way this place played tricks on you. And it wasn't just here in the marsh, it was all over this world. I would get those images every now and then. The thought that maybe the things I was slaying could possibly be human. What was I talking about? That was impossible, no chance, no way. They appear far too catastrophic and despicable to be human. Although there were too many humans like that, there was a limit. I walked further into the ruins of what could have been, and what had been; this part always had some kind of effect on me. This weaker side of me, falling deeper into the facade of the over-confident outer shell. Had I always been like this? No...The bastard had made me weaker. Two divorces wreak havoc on your mind, on your stability. However, I am strong, a man cannot defeat me, I'd rather be insane than have that! For that is the pride of a strong woman. A pride that shall never be lost.

I grew tired, weary of my travels, and took up lodging in an abandoned barn; it was the only possible safety truly available. The life of an adventurer was truly draining career choice. I lay on what seemed to be a bed, and used what I was already wearing to keep me warm. As I lay the dreams overtook me, or were they the reality?

_Oh God...I've done it...no...No he can't be dead. He just can't be. The blow from my high heel into his head can't have done that. Please, please, get up. Don't leave me all alone like you said you would...Don't keep the promises your cruel mouth came out with only moments ago. You swore back on the day we married you wouldn't leave me like the last had. You swore neither death nor any other form of us being apart would happen. But you had to go break that didn't you...You had to f*cking lie you little sh*t…  
Make the blood stop Seth...Come back to me, DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!_

I awoke with a start. That had been the worst dream in months. I wildly looked for my sword and clutched it closely to my chest. It was still here, I let out a sigh of relief. It was cracked like my own frail body, its representations of myself were why I had to keep it so close. As long as I had it, all was well. I munched on some celery and carrots, as a hero you must keep your body up to standard, the peak of physique, or you would be defeated. I ventured out of the barn and onwards the ever winding path. It felt never ending, and as though it was testing my emotional determination to persevere rather than my physical strength. I kept to it, never leaving the path, no one questioned it. No one left the path; there was nothing beyond it that was of use, unless it had a deliberate side area for treasure and the like. But, again, that was always on the map.

A chest was coming up ahead; I felt the dull pang of excitement. It wasn't the same as it had been when I'd first opened a chest, which had been sorely disappointing seeing as it rewarded me with old socks. However, there was still some form of excitement in my weathered body when I saw one. I rushed over to its beaten wood and rusty clasp, with a gentle amount of pressure from two fingers the lid lifted. Below red satin and a shinier metal than what was on the outside, lay my reward. Glistening gently was an augment, which attached to a weapon, and 1,000 gold pieces. I grinned inwardly; this was a good haul indeed. I inspected the augment closely, a fire based one. How intriguing. I attached it to a worn slot inside the obsidian sword; it deserved some TLC every now and then.

I turned to leave, but I felt the ground quiver. I looked to my feet to see the ground shake. It ceased as quickly as it had started. I looked upwards slowly, dreading what could possibly be in front of me. A human skeletal foot took a step forward; the figure had once been female and wore a hood. It's tight corset preventing the chance of any breath, even if the thing had been capable of such a feat. From beneath the corset, black sheer fabric billowed out; it revealed through the material what had once been legs. They could no longer be referred to as limbs to be honest, as they were mauled beyond recognition. The only thing letting on what they were, were the blood stained bones escaping from the ivory skin. I took a step backwards and it took another forwards. The only words going through my head being, 'oh sh*t, oh sh*t, I'm so totally f*cking screwed.' I grasped the dark sword as the augment I had placed on it took effect. These things noticed danger faster than most well trained humans. Flames curled around the sword, and I could feel the heat emanating off it, along with an ancient, and now, unknown magic.

It let out a long screech, memories and words echoing around my body, trying to weaken me. The sounds of a thousand animals falling dead to the floor – that wasn't my fault, I had needed to eat. The looks on people's faces as I had brought the heavy sword down on them – they had gotten in the way, I had warned them. Seth. He flashed into vision and I let out a mighty cry, rivalling the sound the banshee had come out with. I ran at it, how dare it remind me of him, after I tried so hard to forget, those dreams, were they real? I can't tell anymore!

All I knew was to slay.

The sword crashed down onto the figure, it should've gone straight through it because it was a banshee. You had to do more than this to kill a banshee, I was so confused. Suddenly, the shape changed, a flash of human again. This woman stared back at me, my eyes widened in fear. What...What's happening to me? The sword had sliced through to the mid torso of the woman, banshee _thing_ in front of me. She let out a prayer in a whisper as she died... Flashes of another world, another life passed before me. No. NO. These aren't real. I left these all behind. I will ALWAYS have left this behind. I won't feel the pain of humans anymore, it won't be real.

_What had been, in my mind, a wolf was really a man. Heh, I fell into the depths of insanity when Seth died, like I could care. I did what I would have done if it were a beast; disembowelled it and took what could be used. Always did, always would. The instability had taught me that it didn't change anything if they were human._

The world returned again; as it always did.

I continued my quest, I had no time for the other world, and it wasn't worth it. It wasn't worth remembering it at all. I just had to stay alive.

My reality was a game,

And those flashes...

...a reality


End file.
